BOTSWANA COPS ARREST LISWATI, 10 TSWANAS FOR E1.26M DAGGA

PIGG’S PEAK – Botswana Police have arrested a liSwati man together with 10 Tswana men for allegedly smuggling 18 bags of dagga weighing over 300kg into the Republic of Botswana.

According to a press statement issued by Botswana Police Service Senior Superintendent Near Bagali, for the Public Relations Officer (PRO), 11 suspects aged between 22 and 44 were charged and appeared at the Village Magistrates Court on Monday, June 5, 2023 for trafficking in narcotics drugs or psychotropic substances.

Independent calculations by this publication revealed that the 18 bags of dagga, weighing over 300kg, have a street value of over E1.26 million.
The Botswana police revealed that one of the suspects is Mgucisi Phindukuthula Dlamini, a male aged 36 and originates from the Kingdom of Eswatini. According to Dlamini’s passport or travel document seized by Botswana authorities, he is originally from Mahlangatja.

Suspects

The other suspects are 10 Botswana male citizen, namely; Nelson Mmereki aged 41 of Mankge Ward, Gabane, Katlego Diboko aged 31 of Block 6, Gaborone, Boago Ramarumo aged 22 of Mmopane, Keabetswe Seatla Moemele aged 41 of New Canada, Gaborone, Moabi Mpho Renyere aged 42 of Mafatshwa Ward, Tlokweng, Tshepo Matshaba aged 29 of Mafatshwa Ward, Tlokweng Lesego Bogatsu aged 33 of Tlokweng, Katlholo Molapo aged 44 of Leruthari Ward, Phitshane, Kemoitsele Kopano aged 35 of Extension 9, Palapye and Phenyo Setshwantsho aged 31 of Block 6, Gaborone.

All the 11 suspects were remanded in custody and will appear again in court on June 19, 2023. According to the Botswana communique, eight of the suspects were arrested last week Thursday (June 1, 2023) at Gaborone West Industrial, following a police search and subsequent recovery of the 18 bags containing a substance suspected to be dagga, weighing over 300kg. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspected dagga was smuggled into Botswana.Three more suspects were later arrested on different dates in connection with the same offence.

Reported

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, this publication reported that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), destroyed a dagga plantation and confiscated dagga worth E2.1 million, belonging to an undocumented liSwati national in Pongola. This was during a joint operation between the seven South African Infantry Battalion and Pongola South African Police Service (SAPS) on one of the farms at Stilo, in Pongola. According to information sourced from the SANDF website, during the operation by the forces, they discovered the liSwati national within the plantation, where there was approximately 0.3 hectares of dagga, which weighed 500kg when rooted out.

This has been described as one of the biggest successes by SANDF from the seven infantry Battalion that was recorded since their arrival in KwaZulu-Natal’s boarders with Mozambique and Eswatini.According to the SANDF statement, the soldiers on the ground displayed high spirit and morale and they were fully committed to fulfilling joint Tactical Headquarters of the KwaZulu-Natal objectives.

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